In an effort to increase booster seat use among children, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraging state legislators to promote stricter booster seat laws, yet there is a paucity of information on booster seat efficacy relative to other forms of restraint. Using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2008-2016, the current study examines the effectiveness of booster seats relative to child safety seats and adult seat belts. For children 2 to 5 years of age, we find some evidence to suggest that booster seats are the least effective form of restraint. For children 6 to 9 years of age, all three forms of restraint appear equally effective.
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